I've been searching for a good moisturizer for years to no avail. Recently, I started a weekly deep conditioning treatment with honey, olive oil and coconut oil. So far, so good. I also seal my ends regularly with shea butter and my own homemade butter mix (see my sig). Other than that regular commercial products haven't worked that well for me in terms of moisture; they'll work great for a few weeks, then I'll need to find something new.

If your hair is very coarse and dry (like mine), then I think the key is figuring out how to keep the moisture in once it's applied. Oils that penetrate the strand provide actual moisture whereas heavier oils and butters seal moisture in the strand. For moisture try olive oil or coconut oil both of which penetrate the hair strand. I don't think safflower oil penetrates the strand but I'm not sure. Shea butter and castor oil are both excellent sealers. Jojoba oil is good for providing moisture to the scalp but it has some protein (it is technically a wax not an oil) so keep it away from your strands to avoid protein overload. Of course, water is the best moisturizer so be sure to seal your hair while it is wet or damp.

Where can I get a good over the counter Shea butter? I'm not really near any whole food stores...

Originally Posted by currlyQ4days

Other than Whole Foods, the Vitamin Shoppe also sells shea butter. I like to use Nubian Heritage's shea butter than has infused green tea and olive oil. I also buy raw shea butter from Mountain Rose Herbs (online).